I love the way we can find information on just about anything. From how to do something ‘techie’, to listen to a favourite piece of music, for much needed data for a report. I just go on-line and with one click, the information is mine. Or perhaps ‘mined’ is a more apt description. What we do is being monitored. All the time. Every click. Every moment of every day. Big data. Big money for Big Corporates. This is concern no. 2 on my list. My biggest concern is moral responsibility. And what brought this ever closer was Coderdojothon 2016, which was hosted in my home town of Dun Laoghaire last weekend.

I’d been aware of this amazing movement, which is bringing kids together to learn what will be the global language of the future CODING. Not having children, this has been at the edge of my world and only when a conversation with a pal saw me agreeing to be on the ‘SOAPBOX’ on opening night, did I really give it serious thought. BUT NOT AS A CODER. I stood up and spoke. As a human being very much concerned with the moral responsibility of organisations involved with this growing movement. And expressed concern as to how children can be protected within this worldwide Dojoweb. The creativity I saw. The confidence which kids develop as they learn and develop is breathtaking. I would hate anything to infiltrate this world. These kids are our future now. They know more about the internet and see more possibilities than we may ever contemplate, let alone take on. I even made a new pal Lexie. She is seven and can help me with my blogging and is a cool coder already. These kids have a social conscience, an innate guiding compass of collaboration for the greater good. These kids will make social changes happen and all through the new global language of collaborative coding. And yes, people travelled from all over the world and the common language – yes, is ENGLISH!!

I am grateful to those who accepted my challenge I threw off the SOAPBOX. Those who came up to join me as I ranted – in particular Paul Greenberg, CEO and Founder of an extraordinary company https://www.creatubbles.com.

What an amazing time to grow up in this world. It’s a long way from my childhood where having a landline was big news, long before the mobile phone was even thought of!

What do I mean by this? More than just the physical aspects of making your message heard and do remember this may simply be putting forward your opinion. I mean taking courage in both head and heart. There are occasions which can be intimidating and I for one have experienced many where I have been reticent, reluctant and slow to voice not only an opinion, but my opinion. Today I had one such instance which reminded me that our thoughts lead our emotions – and it is when we allow these thoughts to take control that we ourselves lose control. The question is, who takes control, you or your crazy mind! My way of rationalising something is to quickly decide ‘is it doing me any good thinking about this’. So I take myself through a ‘quickfire’ process of rationalisation and say to myself, GOOD. BAD. BIF. GONE. By putting some sense around what I’m feeling I am instantly back in the red hot seat of control. Try it. Be aware of it. It works…